Santee residents to get incentives for recycling

SANTEE  Recycling is about to make cents for sensible Santee residents.

The city has been chosen by Waste Management of San Diego as the first to participate in a program that will offer tangible incentives to residents who recycle.

A rewards-for-recycling program from a concept called "Recyclebank" is now operating in Santee.

Recyclebank members earn points whenever they recycle, and can use the points for discounts and special deals from local business and national outlets like Unilever (the parent of Dove soaps, Lipton tea and Ben & Jerry's sweet treats, among others) and the Coca-Cola Co., who take part in the program.

According to Lucie Poulicakos, Recyclebank's vice president, over the course of a year, an average member can earn hundreds of points that translate to $165 annually.

Earlier this month, Santee residents received a letter outlining the benefits of the program and signup instructions through recyclebank.com/WM. Once a member, residents earn points each time they recycle.

The weight of the recycled goods are tabulated whenever Waste Management collects the items and tabulated into points. Residents can also earn bonus points by reporting their recycling efforts on the Recyclebank website.

Always looking for help with budgets, his own, the city's and its residents, Santee Mayor Randy Voepel said the city was honored to be the first in the county to offer the program.

"By increasing the city's total volume of recycling, citizens can help boost revenue and keep our taxes as low as possible," Voepel said.

Santee resident and environmental activist Van Collinsworth said he is looking forward to getting some of the program's perks because he has been participating in curbside recycling for many years already.

"Recyclebank will provide Santee residents economic incentives to recycle," Collinsworth said. "Incentives will increase public awareness of the process, its environmental benefits and should increase individual participation. I'm glad Santee is the first city in the county to introduce this incentivized recycling program."